After discharging BJP president Amit Shah from the fake encounters case, the special CBI court is likely to decide on discharge applications moved by Rajasthan home minister Gulab Chand Kataria and Rajasthan based marble trader Vimal Patni on January 12.

The CBI had chargesheeted both of them last year before the Mumbai court, alleging that they were part of the “conspiracy to eliminate Sohrabuddin Sheikh.” The politician and businessman duo have, on their part, claimed innocence.

The CBI chargesheet claims, “Investigation revealed that after the encounter of Sohrabuddin, Gulab Chand Kataria, Om Mathur (another Rajasthan BJP leader) and D G Vanzara visited Udaipur and held a meeting at a secluded place called “Jag Mandir.” As per the records of Circuit House, Udaipur, D G Vanzara visited Udaipur and had stayed there from 27/12/2005 to 30/12/2005 along with his wife. The personal staff of Gulab Chand Kataria also stayed in Circuit house, Udaipur during the period on official visit.”

On the role of Patni, the CBI has claimed that “Vimal Patni had extreme concern for security of himself and his family because of the threats extended by Sohrabuddin and his gang.” According to CBI, Patni was threatened by Sohrabuddin Sheikh “in the month of October-November 2004”. The probe agency has also alleged that Patni paid Rs 10 crore to get rid of Sohrabuddin following the threat and in view of the gangster’s rising influence in marble business.

The CBI has also claimed that Sohrabuddin and Tulsiram Prajapati were eliminated for allegedly demanding Rs 24 crore from Patni who had been introduced to Amit Shah by Kataria. Tulsiram was part of Sohrabuddin’s gang who, according to CBI, was an eyewitness in abduction and killing of Sohrabuddin Sheikh and his wife Kauser Bi in November 2005. It has claimed that Tulsiram was killed almost a year later in another encounter by Gujarat police “for being the witness”.